by Anita Mason
First published 2003
Freddy pilots a fragile aircraft through the wreckage of Germany in April 1945. Her passenger is a wounded General carrying Hitler's last message. The war nears its end, but their dangerous flight continues through territory crawling with Allied forces and desperate deserters. As Freddy navigates between enemy armies, she remembers how her forbidden love of aviation led her to become Nazi Germany's premier female test pilot. She flew the Luftwaffe's most experimental planes, from Stuka dive bombers to the rocket-powered Komet. Her single-minded pursuit of flight brought her fame and meetings with Third Reich leaders. But her focus on the skies blinded her to the horrors unfolding below. Now she faces the knowledge of the Nazi regime's crimes and her own complicity. The story follows her struggles with her father's expectations, her awareness of the Final Solution, and a lesbian relationship in a society built on fear and control.
Genres: historical-fiction, 20th-century, war, aviation
Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, forbidden-love
Setting: Germany
Period: 1945
371 pages · Paperback · Spinsters Ink
Content warnings: violence